Ho ho ho...here we go round again! Countdown to Christmas 2025, thread 1

[NoWordForFluffy]

365

Evening!

I'm tired after today, but the buffet was a success. Tomorrow it's dinner!

Everyone seems to love their gifts, which is always good. 😊 Bed soon as it's all go again from the morning!

Morning!

We used to like the Asda bakery hot cross buns, but haven't had any in years.

We're off out for lunch later on at Prezzo (they had a 50% deal on gift cards, as long as you spent it before 5 Feb). I have to walk the pooch first though. There is some cleaning to be done at some point too I had a nap instead of cleaning yesterday.

I've still got little star fairy lights round my "New Year" table that I'm switching on each night but I notice its getting lighter earlier in the morning now and the bulb shoots are peeping out in the garden so Spring is on the horizon.

Watched Wicked Little Letters with Olivia Coleman last night (she's one of my favourites). Very sweary but very funny.

I'm currently drying banana chips in the oven, with the cost of electricity though it would most likely be cheaper to just buy a bag. Then later I'll be making a banana loaf with the 2 overripe bananas that are always left in the fruit bowl but nobody really likes banana bread so I'm not sure why I'm making it tbh. DS might eat it, he's a bit like a food vacuum at the moment, possibly having a growth spurt.

Just bought some crocs slides on the crocs website for £13.49 with free postage - should have been £35.

Happy Sunday everybody.

We still have a 'nest' of fairy lights in an empty fireplace @Magnoliasunrise, and still light a few candles I usually pack them away once there's daylight at dinner time.
We haven't quite got to the hot cross bun stage but recommendations are always appreciated! One of my favourite bakery goods.
We have visitors coming mid February so I'll be having a mini repeat of our Christmas preparations with a good clear out, cleaning, food planning etc. Mainly because a deadline - even if self imposed - makes me do it. Our visitors won't care!

Despite feeling ill again with another cold (a brief week in January I felt fine!) and felt like the days have been dragging, I can't quite believe it's the 19th January? 😆

Lots of posts on social media about Easter already. I never see as many comments complaining like they do with Christmas 🤷🏻‍♀️

I'm on the train into Cardiff for some shopping and lunch with a friend I haven't seen for a while. Looking forward to it.

No hot cross bun here 🤢
Also no Easter planning - we have St David's Day and our first mini family holiday to get through before that.

I'll be cooking a bolognaise this evening and online shopping for a bike for LOs birthday 🙄

Also, candles are a year round thing here - I love having some nice smelling ones burning and use lemon and orange ones to try and deter bugs in the summer.

Easter is a hugely important celebration to a lot of people , my SIL considers the death and resurection to be more important than the birth of Jesus .

I suppose it gets less grief as it's a long weekend of actual "Easter" ( Good Friday /Easter Sunday /Easter Monday ) though if you take part in Lent it's much much longer than Christmas !

But crucially ( in the "Hate Christmas Brigade" )
Better weather
Not so much in the way of preparation though we do put a wreath up , some chicken decorations and used to have an Easter Tree (it's A Thing )

No presents (unless you do gifts)
Easter Eggs ( and yes there will be complaints about this )

I like the tradition of what food we will have ( as vegetarians with non vegetarian DS ) it's pretty much the same but no sprouts .

So maybe the Christmas Complainers don't like the work or the expectations or the InLaws . ?
Or maybe it's the percieved American-ism of Elf on the Shelf , Christmas Pyjamas, Christmas Eve Hampers or Dec 1st Boxes .

@70isaLimitNotaTarget I have an Easter Tree too!!! I have a big branch that I hang decorated eggs from- some bought and some that the DC made years ago. I'd have a tree for any reason though 😂.

@70isaLimitNotaTarget I finished off the mincemeat last week. This week DS came home with a pack of hot cross buns.
The local shops all have Easter next to discounted Christmas treats.

Forgot, 339

The Tesco St. Clements HCBs are delicious. Toasted but no butter as I'm allergic and definitely only for Easter weekend otherwise I would resemble an Easter egg.

Or maybe a weeble, Woolly?! 🤣

I feel seen 😂😂

338

Office day again! So I'm currently on the train. We've got a client in today, but I'm hoping I won't need to be in any meetings for too long as I'm up the wall!

Rattling round to our first Rudolph Day shortly!

I know exactly what you mean by driving around and looking at the lights , I love that pre Christmas feeling ! I love the lead-up. I hate the strange feeling the day after when it’s just over . Sounds weird but it definitely kicks back to being very young and I get to relive it with my children which is wonderful.

Yes , first Rudolph Day on Saturday .

I am decluttering bit by bit so hopefully clearing things out rather than bringing things in.
We still have our winter bedding on and it willl stay on till March - washed and put back obvs !
The washing machine is jiggered at the moment so hoping this gets fixed this weelk as Saturday looked like a Good Drying Day but now I've checked , there's rain forecast <rats>

337

I survived the office I did go sleep on the sofa early last night though!

It's cold today, though dry, after a misty start. Tomorrow is meant to be cold, but also wet and windy in the afternoon! Grim. I have a hospital appointment to go to as well, so have to trek to south Liverpool and walk across Sefton Park!

336

Morning!

Am also clearing out, must be that Spring Clean feeling kicking in.

We are forecast snow, wind, rain, and everything else - think they're covering themselves.

DS just finished his mocks - he said "the half I did revise didn't come up and the half I didn't revise did" I said "hmmm I'm sure you're supposed to revise all of it" 🤔

Good luck with the hospital appointment Fluffy.

Evening!

Appointment went well. The scar is as it should be and he's pleased it seems to have sorted the carpal tunnel. He said it's bizarrely common for the non-operated side to feel less painful when the other side is corrected, so the fact my left also feels better too isn't a surprise! Brains / pain are weird!

We're now just going to monitor my shoulder and see how it goes.

We're set for an amber warning for wind tomorrow. Not looking forward to that!

DS just finished his mocks - he said "the half I did revise didn't come up and the half I didn't revise did" I said "hmmm I'm sure you're supposed to revise all of it"

That sounds like the sort of thing my DS would come out with Magnolia

Well I studied roundabouts and traffic lights and they asked me about bloody motorways .........well Duh you need to know all the roads .

As a Public Service Announcement can I just let you know that White Chocolate Malteaser Bunnies are not very nice ? Very very sweet , even my DC wouldn't eat a second one ( and they were mini bunnies )

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Glad you are feeling better @NoWordForFluffy

Thank you for this! I don't like the white creme eggs either, again very very sweet!

Wild and windy day! It's actually not that cold though and the sun is shining, I'm so tempted to put some washing on the line to dry! Or is that a bit crazy??!!

I can't believe we are nearly into February already, kid only have 3 weeks left at school until half term, it's flying by already! Someone actually said to me yesterday "won't be long and it'll be Christmas again!" 😁

Morning. Glad the appointment went well fluffy. Mind boggling how the brain/nerves deal with pain isn't it?
Nerves in particular interest me. I have a spot on my arm (near the crook of my elbow) and if I scratch it, I feel a pinch between my eyes and it makes me want to sneeze 😂

LO has started nursery 😱 so I've been cleaning a lot to distract myself. They haven't been here that long so how is it that I feel so odd when I'm home alone now?
I'm not quite at spring cleaning levels - more getting back on top of the house since LO came and Christmas happened though!

334

Hope everyone in a Red Zone/Amber Zone is ok , there were some horrific images on the News of damage and disruption . I think Saturday is a lull but according to news it will return.

Rudolph Day - 1st one of the year .
No Christmas Planning as such but might cook something nice !

We were in the amber zone. Lots of missing roof tiles around our road and most likely the estate in general. I've not been anywhere yet since the dog walk first thing to see if there's other damage, but I imagine more trees will be down in places.

It was pretty loud overnight, so I couldn't sleep well. Then it sounded scary during the day as it sounded like the roof was flapping about! It's dropped to 30-40mph now so is much calmer!

We've no Rudolph plans. Bit early to do too much!